Passage
by Kellifer
Summary: Stranded offworld - told in the increments of time. (SamJack - Team) Chapters 4 and 5 of 6 are now posted.
1. Passage One Hour

Title: Passage (1/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Rating: Chapter 1 - PG (Later chapters to be advised)

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through the increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and  
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret   
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the  
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is  
coincidental and not intended by the author.

-Passage-

-One Hour-

Jack O'Neill had always been ruled by his instincts, and when they screamed at him that something was wrong, he trusted them. Everything was supposed to be routine, even easy, but it never seemed to be for him and the other members of his team. They attracted trouble like metal filaments to a magnet. He had always thought it incredible that they were all still alive. He supposed Daniel had died enough times to cover them all, karmic-ly speaking.

But there was that wrong feeling, as common to him now as Daniel having a coffee in his hand at all hours of the day and Sam being able to speak in entire sentences where the only words he understood were 'and' and 'the'. The wrong feeling was being accompanied by a mounting sense of dread, as if his body was instinctively bracing itself for pain. He had time to think 'this is gonna hurt' and then it happened.

Jack felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach and small of the back simultaneously. He got a sense of space and so tucked, preparing to roll when he hit solid ground, hoping that the fall he was currently involved in was short enough to allow rolling to actually do anything helpful. All too quickly the ground did arrive and he felt pain, hot and glassy, as his legs met it first. He skidded to a halt with his P90 jammed painfully against his ribs and the certainty that he had really screwed his knees for good that time. Thoughts of his own pain disappeared as soon as they had arrived though because he knew the other members of his team would be coming through the Stargate he had with the same velocity. Although he knew Sam would automatically protect herself from too much damage as he would and Teal'c was always pretty tough to hurt permanently, Daniel was always a worry. He sat up, despite his back yelling in protest and looked around. He could see the Stargate off to his left and the wormhole was still engaged. He'd been first through. A disturbance broke across the watery mouth of the 'gate and a body flew through the center, as hard and fast as he had.

He didn't have time to get out of the way.

"Ooof!" He was rolling again, carried by the force of Samantha Carter's entry into the world. They came to a halt and Sam looked up, lying across him awkwardly and with their faces close. "Sir?" She said, a little dazed. The liquid sound of another body hurtling through the 'gate made Jack roll sideways, carrying Carter with him. He'd been hit by enough people for one day, he figured. There was a meaty thud as Daniel hit the ground right where they had both been. Jack reached over to tug Daniel towards himself as Teal'c made an equally ungraceful entry and landed a few metres short of where they were. Jack heard the Jaffa exclaim in a language he didn't know, but by the tone he understood it was probably a pretty colourful string of curses. Teal'c sat up immediately, his first thoughts for the others of his group as Jack's had been.

Sam's weight disappeared as she scrambled over to Daniel. He was making groggy noises like he was waking up and Jack could see blood pouring from a nasty looking gash to his head. Sam was immediately trying to staunch the flow, using the bottom of her shirt to hold against his head with one hand while she tried to search through her pack awkwardly with the other. Jack managed to scramble over to them both and took the pack from her, looking for gauze or bandaging, anything to press against the head wound. Teal'c was by his side silent and quick, his brows knitted together in concern. Jack looked back up at the 'gate as it disengaged and there was a splash of blood across one side. He thought with a grimace that Daniel must have clipped the edge with his head on the way through.

"The only other time we have exited the gate in such a fashion was when we did not follow normal 'gate protocol." Teal'c intoned, standing up and looking back toward the 'gate. Sam was busy working on Daniel but her face tightened at the mention of the world they had almost inadvertently destroyed. "We didn't do anything unusual with this one." She snapped, pausing to rub a hand across her forehead, leaving a streak of Daniel's blood across her temple. "Quit it." Daniel complained, pushing weakly at Sam's hands. She slapped them away and took the tape Jack had proffered to her to secure a piece of gauze to Daniel's wound. "Daniel, you've hit your head and you're bleeding. Stop fussing." Her tone was completely different with the archeologist. There was a business-like quality to it but gentleness underneath.

Jack was also starting to wonder just what had happened now that Daniel was protesting and squirming a sure sign that he wasn't hurt too badly. Teal'c stood over them, looking towards the 'gate, his face puzzled. Jack hadn't had a trip like that since… well, ever. He knew the trek through the wormhole had been rough the first couple of times before Sam smoothed things out by compensating for…something complicated, he thought, but he'd never felt anything similar. Even when they'd gone through the Stargate to the world they'd almost doomed, it had been a jolt when they'd come through, but nothing like what just happened. He was still aching. He would be sore, but was relieved to discover that he hadn't done his knees in too badly. He stood also, accepting Teal'c's proffered hand with no feeling of wounded pride. His knees protested weakly, but held him. He unclipped his P90 and felt his sides carefully. He thought there was probably bruising but he didn't think he'd actually broken any ribs. For that he was also grateful.

"Well, whatever happened, we're turning around and heading straight back so we can get Daniel looked at." He said, rescuing his sunglasses from around his neck and slipping them on. He had the chance to take in that there was the usual plethora of trees surrounding them and the day was sunny and warm with a pleasant scent to the air. He thought it a pity that they couldn't hang around. "Dial us home." He said and Teal'c bowed his head once and then headed for the DHD. Sam had helped Daniel to sit up, who squinted up at Jack. "Sorry." He said, embarrassment in his tone. Jack waved off the apology with a flick of the hand. That was Daniel for you, Jack mused. Who else would come hurtling through a Stargate, hit their head on the side of the damn thing and then apologise, as if it could be avoided. Jack understood though, no matter how many times they reassured Daniel, the younger man always felt like he was a burden to the team, at least physically. Daniel of course didn't know that other SG leaders envied Jack's team. Daniel was in good shape, could use a firearm and although he protested, he also understood the necessity for military decisions. Daniel would argue vehemently, all the while doing whatever Jack had asked him to when it truly came down to it.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called. "We seem to have a problem."

Jack turned and saw the large man standing by the DHD, staff weapon leaning against it and with his palms held out. Jack swore under his breath and trotted over. "What's up?"

"The seventh chevron will not lock. The 'gate reacts to dialing earth as if we were dialing a dead address." Teal'c said, worry in his brown eyes. Jack felt cold fear clench his gut. His concern wasn't for their safety or how they could get home, it was for Earth. "Try the Alpha site." Jack instructed. Teal'c nodded and starting dialing, confusion furrowing his brow when after he had entered the seven symbols, the DHD stayed alight and the stargate kept spinning. "It looks like its waiting for another symbol, did you miss one?" Sam queried from behind them. She wasn't holding Daniel up, but her arm was out in his direction. He'd obviously shrugged her off but she was being mindful of the fact that he was staggering just a little. "I did not, but I can try again if you wish." Teal'c said. There was the sound of the Stargate winding down and the chevrons blinked out. "Let Sam try, she won't believe its not working until she does it herself." Daniel said, a wry grin on his face. Jack saw Sam look at him in annoyance, probably tempted to use the arm she was going to steady him with to give him a quick shove over instead. Regardless, she moved forward to do just as Daniel suggested and Jack grinned at him. Right on the button.

"Huh." Sam sighed when she'd punched in the seven symbols to both the Alpha Site and Earth and the same thing happened for each. Teal'c treated her to a raised eyebrow and she grinned at him wryly. She leant down to pull the panel free from the DHD, exposing the crystals within. She rummaged in her pack for tools and started laying them out. "Don't worry, I'll fix it." She said, already fully immersed in what she was doing. Her face was alight, an expression Jack saw whenever Sam had a particularly tricky problem to work out. Jack turned to Teal'c and Daniel. "Teal'c, with me check the perimeter. Daniel, stay here and watch Sam's six." He said, his tone professional.

Sam was elbow deep in the DHD when he and Teal'c moved off. He saw Daniel pull his sidearm and give them a nod.

Why don't we ever get the easy ones, Jack thought tiredly.


	2. Passage One Day

Title: Passage (2/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and  
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret   
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the  
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is  
coincidental and not intended by the author.

-Passage-

-One Day-

Jack was sitting on an outcropping of rock overlooking the Stargate and the DHD, his legs stretched out before him. From where he was, he could see the approach to the Stargate for a few miles all the way around. They were currently in a flat plain with trees ringing it. He looked across the way and could see Teal'c, standing at attention a few metres from the 'gate. Daniel was sitting next to Sam, handing her tools and with a panel of the DHD in his lap. There'd been symbols on the inside of the panel unlike any they'd ever seen before. Daniel had shown it to Teal'c who had admitted that it was not a language he had encountered previously. Daniel was now completely absorbed and fascinated. He had his notebook next to his knee and would look from the panel to it every now and again, before shaking his head in annoyance and flipping pages. Daniel had lost his glasses when he'd come through the gate and Jack had mutely handed him the spare pair he kept in his pack. Daniel had accepted them without explanation. Every now and again his hand would drift towards the bandaging on his head and without looking at him, Sam would snap her hand out, capture his and force it back down into his lap. Sam looked otherwise completely in her own little world from where Jack sat.

He looked again over their surroundings. He had to admit that it was a pretty place. The air was sweet and clean and there was just the hint of a breeze causing the trees to sway lazily back and forth in the distance. Barring hostile natives they hadn't encountered yet, it was one of the nicest planets they'd been to in a while. He knew Hammond had tried to give them a cake mission as they'd had a pretty heavy load the last couple of months. Yet again, what outwardly appeared like it would be trouble-free became a drama. He wondered vaguely if they were cursed. He knew there were SG teams who went through the 'gate day in and day out without anything untoward ever happening.

Jack's eyes ticked back to Sam and Daniel just in time to see Daniel hold the panel out to Sam and for her to look at it, back to the DHD and then to the panel again. She looked up, her eyes searching for him. Jack raised an arm, the movement catching Sam's eye. She stood and he saw her put a hand up to her radio. "Sir?" Her voice sounded gravelly. Jack raised his own hand to the little black box and clicked it on. "Carter, what's Daniel done now?" He said. He saw her glance at Daniel and then back in his direction.

"I think you'd better come down here." She said cryptically. Jack sighed and stood, making his way down the embankment leading to the 'gate. His knees were still grumbling and he knew he would have to ice them when he got home, possibly for a few days. "What's up kids?" He asked. Teal'c had also moved to join them, keeping a watchful eye towards the tree line. Daniel was standing, the metal panel held against his chest. "According to this we hit a kind of…bridging 'gate." Daniel said. Jack wasn't used to the archeologist being so succinct and he blinked.

"That means?" Jack said. "English remember?" He added when Daniel opened his mouth. Daniel sighed theatrically, looking put-upon and then looked at the panel again. He looked up and turned it around so Jack could see the text. "Okay, you know how you had to use extra power and an eighth chevron to get to the Asgaard homeworld?" He asked. Jack nodded. "Well, not all races could access the kind of power you'd need to achieve that, but it's possible they found a way around it." Jack crossed his arms. He hated the way both Sam and Daniel would drag out an explanation. He just wanted the bald facts and how it affected them. He tried to convey that in the scowl he treated Daniel to. Daniel dropped to his haunches and cleared away a patch of dirt. With a finger he drew a circle. "That's Earth with a Stargate right?" He said, pointing at the mark he had just made. Jack nodded for him to go on. Daniel drew another circle. "Let's say that's the planet the Alpha site is on." Daniel said. "We can reach it." He drew a line linking the two "Through the use of the Stargate and a seven chevron address." Daniel made a circle a bit further away from the other two. "This is the Asgaard homeworld. Its out of our system and therefore needs an eight chevron address to reach because it needs another point of reference." Daniel glanced at Sam for confirmation who nodded. He didn't have the terms exactly right but was close enough that everyone was getting the gist. "We need a huge boost in power to reach it." Daniel then drew another circle in between Earth and the Asgaard world. He drew a line from Earth to that circle and then another line from the unnamed circle to the Asgaard world. "Or, according to what I just read, you can use a 'gate in the middle as a kind of bridge between the two." He said, standing and brushing the dirt from his fingers.

"So we just need to dial P4X-435, the planet we were aiming for, and then dial Earth from there." Sam said but Daniel shook his head. He picked up the panel again and pointed to a passage of text, following it with his finger. "I don't know who was doing this, but I think they were traveling much further than even the Asgaard have. They also set up the gates to automatically dial 'gate to 'gate." Daniel said.

"So?" Jack demanded.

"This 'gate is as far as they got on one of these multiple trips. In 'gating to P4X-435, I think we've inadvertently started off this 'gate to 'gate dialing procedure they installed. There's no way we can tell just how many 'gates we've actually come through."

"That would probably explain the bumpy ride and the velocity we exited. In theory, you come out of a 'gate at the same speed you entered, but that doesn't take into account going through multiple 'gates. We could have been speeding up every time we hit a new 'gate." Sam said. She was looking fascinated with the whole concept, as was Daniel. Jack hated to rain on their parade, but if he'd understood what Daniel was saying…

"We don't know how many 'gates along we are, or which addresses we need to use to follow the path back to Earth, do we?" Daniel swiveled to Jack. Jack knew he exasperated both Daniel and Sam on occasion with his 'denseness' because he would have flashes of brilliance that they couldn't quite fathom or reconcile with his usual behaviour. "Exactly." Daniel agreed. "I'd say we're too far from any 'gate known to us and besides." Daniel used a foot to destroy the markings he'd made. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

xxxxx

Despite his assumptions, both Daniel and Sam tried dialing every 'gate they knew anyway. They even tried the eight-chevron Asgaard address but there was no response. Jack became aware that they were being watched just as Daniel was starting to curse and Sam was starting to protest that maybe his theory about their predicament was wrong and it was just something wrong with the DHD that she could fix. Jack looked to where Teal'c was standing and could see the large Jaffa was already looking in the direction he felt they were being watched from. He walked over to Teal'c, P90 held loosely but surely. He could see Teal'c was gripping his staff weapon more firmly also, ready to swing it up to use in a heartbeat. "You have noticed it too." Teal'c stated, his eyes searching the trees. Jack sighed heavily. He knew it had been too much to wish for that despite their predicament, there wouldn't be anything to make matters worse.

Natives potentially made matters worse.

He dropped his P90 back to his side however, when the first of the natives broke the tree line. It was a young man, slender and tall, but he didn't seem to be holding a weapon of any kind. Instead, he held up his hand in what looked like greeting. Jack silently prayed that it wasn't actually an invitation to fight and returned the gesture. As soon as he had, others poured from the trees. There were people of all ages, wearing simple garments that accounted for the warm weather. Jack heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Daniel at his shoulder, interest plain on his face. "Far from home and still humanoid." He said. Jack grunted in ascent.


	3. Passage One Week

Title: Passage (3/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and  
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret   
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the  
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is  
coincidental and not intended by the author.

-Passage-

-One Week-

A nomadic settlement had sprung up around the Stargate. Jack was amazed how quickly and efficiently the people they had encountered had thrown up the village that now surrounded them. First had come the wooden frameworks, lashed together quickly and efficiently. These were covered in what looked like treated animal hides and then the whole thing secured with more ropes. Inside were arrayed stuffed cushions and brightly woven carpets for comfort and warmth. Jack now lay on a pallet of sweet smelling grasses in one of these homes. Without a word these people had made it known that they had left one of them empty to be occupied by him and the others. Jack could see Sam's blonde head, turned away from him, still sleeping. Teal'c also seemed to be sleeping, although he turned fitfully. Jack had begun to worry about the large Jaffa, knowing that the time Teal'c could spend off world was limited, given his dependence on the drug Ketonin. Jack swiveled his head but couldn't see Daniel. It had been Daniel on last watch so he would be outside. Jack thought he could hear the gentle murmur of voices just outside the covered opening that doubled as their door. Jack stood, clipping on his P90 and zipping his jacket.

Outside, he found Daniel standing with one of the natives. Daniel had out his notebook and had the native pointing to things and naming them. Jack knew the language of these people had frustrated Daniel. Most times, on the worlds they encountered humans, the language they spoke had evolved from something on earth and Daniel was able to puzzle out at least the gist quickly. According to Daniel, the language on the world they were presently on was unlike anything he had heard before, so he was starting from scratch. He had a quick grasp for the spoken tongue however so over the last few days had puzzled out enough to have them get by, supplemented by gestures and facial expressions. The slim girl that stood beside Daniel had become his shadow over the past week. She was pretty, with dark hair and what seemed an unusual feature for her people, green eyes. Jack could see her watching Daniel as he wrote in his book and grinned. Every damn world, he thought wryly.

Daniel seemed to sense he was being watched and looked up and around, waving the hand holding the pencil when he noticed Jack in the doorway. Jack slipped his sunglasses on and walked over. He saw the girl move so that Daniel was between her and himself. The nomads seemed to understand that both he, Sam and Teal'c carried weapons and so were careful and respectful around them, although not unfriendly. They seemed to also understand the need they felt to still carry them. They had all warmed to Daniel quickly as was the archeologist's way, and tended to defer to him when it came to all matters concerning the outsiders. "How goes it?" Jack asked, smiling at the girl. She ducked her head, but a smile touched her face too.

"Slow, but I'm getting there. Siennu is helping immensely." Daniel said, nodding towards the girl. She'd heard her name and so looked at the two men with interest. Daniel smiled at her and then went back to writing in his notebook. Jack saw the girl blush. Yep, definite trouble.

"I'm starting to-"

"Worry about Teal'c?" Daniel finished the thought, looking up at Jack again and dropping the hand holding the notebook to his side. Jack simply nodded once and glanced away, back toward the hut they had been using as a temporary home. Siennu seemed to sense the worry from both men and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder, a question on her face. Jack could hear Daniel flipping pages in his book and then uttering a few, clipped sounding words. He heard Siennu reply and then the sound of her feet padding off. Jack turned back to Daniel. "I hope I told her our friend is sick." Daniel said with a grimace. "Although I can't be sure because I didn't understand her reply."

xxxx

Teal'c had been unable to rise that morning. Sam had woken and had checked on him and found him feverish and weak. He'd been using his Ketonin sparingly but a smaller dosage hadn't been enough to sustain him and he had fallen ill. Sam now sat by his side, a piece of fabric soaked in cool water held against his brow. She looked up at Jack as he entered; worry plain in her blue eyes. "I'll sit with him. You and Daniel get back to the 'gate and figure this out." He said. Sam stood and moved passed him, grasping his forearm with her fingers as she moved. Jack stopped her, hands on both of her shoulders. "I'm not expecting a miracle save. I just want to know we tried everything we could." Jack said, his tone serious. He didn't want Sam beating herself up later about not being able to get them home, although he knew she would regardless. She nodded mutely and left. He heard her call out to Daniel as she emerged.

Jack lowered himself next to Teal'c who cracked open an eye. "O'Neill." He said simply, acknowledging Jack's presence. Jack smiled at him; taking the cloth out of the bowl Sam had dropped it in and using it to brush down Teal'c's arms and then his forehead again. Everywhere he touched, he could feel the heat of Teal'c's skin through the cloth. "Hey big guy."

"Jack." Jack turned at the sound of his name and could see Siennu in the doorway of the hut, holding the skin aside that closed off the entry. He could see another figure behind her, an older woman holding what looked like a leather satchel. "Bea vargua?" Jack didn't understand the words, but from the tone could guess that she was asking permission to enter. He nodded and the girl let the old woman pass through and then followed in herself. "Dan-yel?" Siennu enquired and Jack made a circular gesture with his hands.

"Gate." He said and Siennu nodded and exited the hut, leaving the old woman behind. Jack looked at her. "Hi." He said, at a loss for what else to do. The woman smiled at him and then moved to Teal'c's other side. She settled herself down, unpacking her satchel. Jack watched her, seeing her pull numerous small bowls and wooden stoppered pouches free and then her hands moved towards Teal'c. Jack shot out his own, halting her. He wanted to trust these people, he really did, but he wasn't quite there yet. The woman looked up and smiled at him kindly. "Hel-lor." She said slowly, as if sounding out an unfamiliar word. She thumped her chest and Jack thought she was trying to introduce herself. "Jack." He said, pointing to himself. The woman sighed and shook her head.

"Heel-lor." She tried again, this time pointing at herself, then resting her hand on her forehead, palm outward, doing the same to Teal'c and then gesturing at her satchel and the supplies scattered about. Jack watched her closely and then blinked at her. "Healer?" He guessed and she nodded vigorously. "Bec." She said. Jack had at least heard that word before. It meant 'yes'. He was still loathe to let her loose on a weakened Teal'c, but she also probably couldn't make him any worse. If anything, she might be able to at least ease his pain. Jack had no illusions about the fact that if Sam didn't find them a way home, Teal'c's days were numbered.

Jack watched the woman work for a little while and was greatly reassured. Her hands moved over Teal'c deftly, quick and gentle and she murmured words as she worked. Her movements reminded him of when Janet Frasier had tended to them. Her wrinkled brow was knitted in concentration as if she were trying to figure out what was wrong with Teal'c like an interesting puzzle. She glanced up at Jack and treated him again to the kindly smile. "Jack." She said. "Vartor." Her voice held a note of command in it and Jack had been in enough infirmaries to recognize when a doctor was asking him to leave. He hesitated, but then decided that if the people around them had meant them harm, they didn't have to resort to trickery of any kind. If they decided to attack, it wouldn't be a long fight. Jack rose, pausing only briefly to touch Teal'c on the forehead once, and then made his way outside.

There were a number of the nomads gathered outside their hut. He could see concern on many of the faces present and he realized that news of Teal'c's illness must have spread through the small group quickly. Rather than be fearful of the disease, it almost seemed like the people were trying to rally around in support. Jack was taken aback. A young man stepped forward with a pitcher of water and offered it to Jack. He took it and took a swallow. "Thanks." He said, handing it back.

xxxxx

It was pitch dark when Jack finally approached the 'gate. He could see the DHD was open and Sam was bent over it. Daniel had his arms inside the workings, up to the elbows and yelped when there was a spark. He pulled his arms free, hugging them to his sides. "You okay?" Jack asked, coming to a halt beside him. Daniel grimaced up at Jack and rose to his feet. He held his arms out and Jack could see black marks across the forearms. "Just singed. I'm fine." He said, bending down, meaning to put his arms right back in where they'd been. Jack looked at Sam who had stopped what she was doing and had dropped her head onto her arm. There were a number of the nomads ringing them, including Siennu, and holding torches to provide light for them to work by. Jack looked about himself and then back at his two teammates. Sam looked tired and defeated and Jack sighed heavily. "Nothing huh?" He presumed. Daniel retrieved his arms and stood again, realizing that Sam had stopped working. She looked up at him and there was abject misery written plain on her face.

"I know you never believe me when I say this Sir, but I honestly don't know what to do here." She said. "I think Daniel's right. We must have come into a 'gate set up to auto-dial through a number of… interchanges I guess you'd call them. We have no point of reference, no way of knowing how many 'gates we passed through, or how far we are from home." Daniel usually looked smug when a theory of his panned out, but this time there was nothing but disappointment on his features. He had been all for Sam proving him wrong because it meant their situation wouldn't have been as dire. As it stood, Daniel's theory had been a worse case scenario and was now looking like what had actually happened. "How's Teal'c?" Daniel asked.

"There's a healer working on him. I know she won't be able to do much but she might at least be able to make him comfortable before…" Jack trailed off, not really ready to say out loud what they all knew was inevitable. Daniel nodded, his face tight and Sam looked stricken. "Sir-" She began but Jack cut her off with a curt wave of his hand.

"Not your fault." He said, anticipating the apology. Sam's eyes dropped and he knew he'd been right. Daniel reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder but she didn't look up. Sam would blame herself for what happened regardless of any reassurance, but he knew he would say it every time he saw that look in her eye she was wearing now.

It had been nobody's fault. Bad lack and iron filings, he mused.

xxxxxx

"Some of the children suffer from a kind of immune deficiency. The medicine is made from a plant they find in the winter camping grounds and taken as a strong tea, it appears to stave off any disease that crops up because of this." Daniel said. Teal'c was sitting up on his pallet, eating vigorously. Sam, Jack and Daniel were watching him like he was an illusion that would dissipate with the dawn of day, brought on by their desperate hope that he would survive. Teal'c looked up at them, his mouth full and treated them to a rare grin. Jack finally tore his eyes away from the large Jaffa and looked at Daniel. "How did you get all that? I thought your understanding of the language amounted to a few greetings and directions to the train station." Daniel chuckled.

"It took about four hours and a fairly exhausting type of charades for me to get that much." He said by way of explanation. Jack looked at him for a few more beats and then shrugged. He didn't care how it had happened, just that it had happened. The Healer had left three hours earlier, having patiently fed Teal'c a strong smelling tea that reminded Jack of mint. Teal'c's fever had broken an hour after that and he had become alert shortly after, complaining that he was starving. The Healer had left them a supply of the leaves needed to steep in hot water to make the tea, with instructions that Teal'c was to have it everyday to keep his strength. At least, that's what Jack had assumed when the Healer had gestured and babbled at him and Daniel had nodded and accepted the plants, trying to communicate just how grateful they were.

"A natural substitute for Ketonin." Sam whispered, one of the leaves held in her fingers. She brushed the delicate greenery almost reverentially. "Do you know what this means?" Both Daniel and Jack looked at her and Jack sighed. "Doodly squat." Jack said. "Because it's as far away from Earth and any Jaffa worlds as we are." Sam glanced at him and her face fell. In the excitement, she had forgotten…for just a moment.

Jack hadn't though. He'd been in a similar position before, certain that he wasn't getting home, but he figured by now he must have used up his quota of miraculous rescues.

Looking from Sam to Daniel and then to Teal'c, it seemed they all had.


	4. Passage One Month

Title: Passage (4/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and  
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret   
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the  
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is  
coincidental and not intended by the author.

-Passage-

-One Month-

Jack stood in front of the Stargate, hands clasped behind his back, watching the rising sun glint off the dull metal surface. He heard footsteps behind him and turned his head slightly to acknowledge the presence of Sam. She was wearing a wrap-around dress of a dusky rose and there was a braided leather thong encircling her bicep one of the nomad children had given her. Jack looked down at her feet and grinned. The combat boots were still present. Daniel had been the first to 'go native', accepting the gifting of clothing that the nomads had made to all of them and dressing as they did. Teal'c had accepted shortly after, being as used as he was to the desert robes of his people, the soft coloured fabrics were not as much of a stretch for him. Sam had been the next to reneg, growing weary of scrubbing out and wearing the same BDUs day in and day out. Although Jack meticulously cleaned and mended his own, looking down at himself he had to admit that a few more weeks and he would have little choice in the matter. It was the stubborn belief that they would still one day be miraculously rescued that kept him holding on to his uniform.

The others also held onto something that separated each of them, he mused. Along with the boots, Sam still had her dog tags around her neck. Daniel was probably the only human on that particular world with glasses and a spiral bound notebook and Teal'c remained in possession of his staff weapon. What had made Jack particularly resentful of having to relinquish his hold on the objects that linked him to Earth that day was the nomad's insistence that they move away from the Stargate. It was the one thing he would have most trouble letting go.

Sam stood by him silently, letting him brood, waiting patiently for him to be the first to talk. She'd learned long ago that you didn't ask Jack O'Neill what was bothering him, because he would shut down with the standard response of 'nothing'. Instead, you patiently waited for him to get comfortable enough to spill. She had come to realise that the bond between Jack and Daniel had become so strong so quickly because the younger man had instinctively picked up on this particular trait, and so had gotten Jack to open up like no one had before. "We should stay by the 'gate, just in case…" Jack sighed, knowing that his argument was moot. He'd already talked to Daniel long into the night about why the nomads were preparing to move on and understood, but he just wasn't ready to abandon all hope… not just yet.

"It's already getting colder and they say we're not too far away from the first snows. The people have already stayed here passed the time they're comfortable with in deference to us but we'll have to move to their winter camping grounds. We won't survive here." Sam repeated the explanation Daniel had given them; knowing Jack had heard it already, numerous times. She had to admit that she herself was as reluctant to leave the shadow of the 'gate, knowing as much as Jack did that it was admitting defeat and the fact that the planet they were now on was, in all likelihood, their home. Jack turned away from the 'gate and Sam matched his movement, watching the people who had sheltered, fed and now clothed them, packing away their village as efficiently as any military unit. He could pick Teal'c out of the crowd, the large Jaffa helping to take down the hut they had all been using, with the assistance of three other men. Jack scanned the activity and finally picked out Daniel, although it was a little more difficult. Daniel was wearing fawn coloured pants and a loose cream shirt and had tanned to a deep gold, almost indistinguishable from the natives. The only reason Jack was able to spot him was because of the dark haired figure at his side, the tiny but they'd come to realise, fiery, Siennu.

Jack turned back to Sam with a sigh. "We could give it a few more weeks." He said, knowing the argument was moot. Sam looked at her feet and then back to Jack, her eyes pained. Daniel had taken to their new world quickly, always easily adaptable, and given the presence of Jack, Sam and Teal'c, not really missing anything back on Earth, except of course coffee. Teal'c had already given up his homeworld in pursuit of a loftier purpose and all that was left to him was the dissatisfaction that came with not being able to continue the fight against the Goa'uld. He grieved for not being able to see his son, but it was an old pain that he had already lived with for quite some time. That left Sam and Jack, both tied to their own world and both dealing with the loss all the harder for it. They'd instinctively drawn closer together, knowing each was having a harder time letting go than the others. "I miss my father." Sam said abruptly, her eyes shiny with unshed tears.

"I miss hockey." Jack said, making Sam snort with laughter, the sound cutting through her sadness.

"I miss chocolate." Sam agreed, nodding.

"Sports on cable." Jack grunted.

"Ice cream."

"My lake."

"Blue jello."

"Why is everything you miss food related?" Jack asked, a grin on his face. He knew their flippancy was merely delaying an inevitable breakdown from both of them, but for now he felt a little better and he could see that Sam did too. "What can I say, I'm a girl who's easy to please." Jack's eyebrows shot up at the comment and Sam giggled again.

"I'm just glad…" Jack began, but his voice trailed off. He grimaced and Sam recognized it as the expression he used when he'd started to say something he hadn't meant to.

"What?" Sam prompted.

Jack made a helpless gesture with his hand. "You know." He said, his brows knitting. He turned but Sam reached out and caught his sleeve. There was the sound of fabric tearing and Jack looked down at where his jacket sleeve had come completely away from the shoulder seam. Sam couldn't help it, she burst out laughing, holding the sleeve in her hand and covering her face with it. "You did that on purpose!" He accused, snatching the sleeve from her. Sam doubled over, completely giving herself to the giggling fit. She knew it was verging on the hysterical side but she couldn't stop to save herself. Jack's indignant expression melted and he stood with his hands on his hips, watching as Sam's giggles dissolved. She hiccupped, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and taking in a few ragged breaths. "Sir, you've got to admit, your clothes are starting to look pretty ratty." Sam said, recovering and gesturing towards him. Jack skipped backwards, not wanting any more items of clothing to come away in her hands.

"Alright." Jack grumbled. "But I get pants like Daniel. I'm not manly enough to carry off a dress the way Teal'c does."

xxxxx

The nomads were ready to move. All of their worldly possessions had been packed down to be able to be carried. There were large shaggy creatures that reminded Jack most of oxen that were loaded with the long wooden struts used as the foundations for the various village huts. Everything else was being carried. Jack looked down at himself, tugging at the pants he was wearing. They felt like suede and fit like they had been made for him. He suspected that they had. One of the older women had blushed like a schoolgirl when she had handed them over and Sam had watched the exchange, waggling her eyebrows. Jack had scowled at her but accepted the gift. He had snagged one of Daniel's shirts and like Sam, had kept his boots on. He would wear them until they fell apart on him.

He now stood, waiting as the others did. He had his pack on and it was loaded with not only their supplies, but also some bits and pieces from the other people. It was the way these people had, sharing their burdens evenly. He had to admit that he liked these people more and more as the days passed. He was still mourning the loss of his own world, but he knew it could have been much worse. He was amazed at their generosity and warmth and sense of community. He had seen Daniel relish the environment and realised that if Daniel had lived out his life on Abydos as he should have, his everyday life would have been similar to what they were experiencing at that moment. He knew Daniel, who admitted in his quieter moments, missed the Abydonians and their ways terribly. He'd looked so forlorn when they'd first retrieved him through the Stargate. In one fell swoop, Daniel had lost not only his wife, but also a large family who depended and needed him and Daniel had felt guilt for that keenly.

Daniel appeared at his side, as if Jack's thoughts had called to him. He also had a heavy looking pack on, and one of the carpets from inside their hut was rolled and lashed to the bottom. "I know you wanted to stay here." Daniel said simply. Jack was always surprised at how Daniel could ramble endlessly about artifacts and writings, but when it came to humans, he was succinct and straight to the point. "I know we can't." Jack said, in way of reply to Daniel's unasked question. He appreciated the younger man checking in with him and knew that if he'd asked, Sam, Teal'c and Daniel would have all stayed behind with him, taking their chances in the snow, just to stay by the 'gate. He also knew it would have been unfair to ask, and not the right thing to do in any case.

"Maybe-" Daniel began and Jack dropped a hand on his shoulder. He could see Siennu watching them, keeping a respectful distance but concern in her large dark eyes. He smiled and winked at her and at first she blinked, but then relief washed over her face. "Don't start Daniel." Jack sighed. "You and Sam have done everything you could have. You didn't overlook anything." Jack noticed something and his brow furrowed. Daniel had the panel of DHD that had the writing on it secured to his pack, between it and his back. With a grunt Jack reached over and yanked it free. Daniel began to protest but Jack cut him off with a curt hand. "Put this back. I'm not having you obsess over it. There's nothing new you're going to find on it that will magically tell us how to get home." Daniel looked like he would argue further but Jack grasped his shoulder and turned him physically in the direction of the Stargate. "I'm not letting this consume you. Let it go." He said and gave Daniel a shove. Daniel looked back once, confusion and sadness on his features and then trotted away in the direction of the Stargate. Jack waved Siennu over and she came, her eyes on Daniel. She looked to Jack and he could see the worry was back. From their tones and Jack's rough treatment, he knew she must have thought that they were fighting. "Make sure Daniel doesn't have that metal thing with him when we're leaving will ya?" Jack asked her. He knew Daniel had been teaching Siennu English as a trade for her patience in teaching him her language. He also knew she probably only understood one out of three words he just said, but her face cleared and her eyes firmed. She nodded once and turned, jogging in the direction Daniel had disappeared. Jack smiled.

"Sir? What was that about?" Jack looked back and Sam had appeared beside him. She had managed to secure pants and a top similar to his for the trek. She'd admitted that while it had been nice to be out of fatigues, she'd missed their practicality in certain situations. "It's time we let go of some stuff." Jack said. He reached forward and circled Sam's wrist with his fingers, bringing her hand up to rest against his cheek for a second before releasing it. Sam had taken a deep breath and only released it when their skin contact broke.

"Drop the Sir."


	5. Passage One Year

Title: Passage (5/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and  
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret   
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the  
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is  
coincidental and not intended by the author.

Disclaimer - CORRECTION - Apologies, I didn't realize that my spell check had mangled some words, including the symbiote medicine 'tretonin'. In my story its written as 'Ketonin'.

-Passage-

-One Year-

Jack sat by the door of his hut and watched the firelight in the distance. It was winter again and they had moved to the more sheltered camping grounds only recently. At the beginning, when huts were still being set up and supplies established there would be a large communal fire at night for the people to gather around to share food, stories and a community feeling. Three other groups from the plains had joined them this year but the close-knit feeling remained.

Despite this, Jack sat alone.

He'd been conscious of pulling away from the others for some time now, but there was a vast difference between being aware of an action, and knowing how to correct it. He couldn't understand himself why he had started to feel so isolated, but he did. Teal'c stubbornly refused to accept Jack's reticence and would make an effort to share meals with him most nights, but Jack knew the others had been hurt by his withdrawal. Daniel still sought him out, but there was a certain distance to their exchanges that had never been present before, and Sam had stopped trying altogether. It didn't surprise him, he knew he had hurt her deeply. They'd grown closer and he'd tried…

"Jack." A voice issued from the darkness and Siennu moved out of the shadows of the firelight. Jack started at her abrupt arrival and then relaxed. He held up a hand in a wave and smiled. Siennu was probably the only one of the nomads who he had actually gotten to know at all. It helped that she was now, despite a thick accent that sharpened most of her vowels, mostly fluent in English. Jack himself thought with a guilty pang how he knew enough to vaguely get by, but not enough to have any kind of proper conversation with anyone. Even the usually laconic Teal'c knew more of the native tongue than Jack did.

"Do I bother?" Siennu asked, and although he knew what she actually meant, the phrasing of her question made Jack grin wryly, thinking he should probably answer her 'I wouldn't'. She wouldn't understand though so instead he replied, "Of course not, have a seat." Jack moved sideways on the log he'd placed outside his hut. Most of the natives sat on the ground on blankets and woven carpets. Jack had put up with that for about two seconds before he started making makeshift chairs out of anything he could find. The people tolerated his particular foible like everything about him, with good-humoured patience. Siennu dropped down beside Jack, smoothing the wrapped skirt she was wearing with two hands. For a few minutes she said nothing and Jack was just starting to begin to wonder if she'd been looking for silent companionship and nothing more, something Daniel could certainly not supply her given his penchant for babble, when she finally broke the silence. "Dan-yel worries for you. He thinks your heart cries still." She said. Siennu was always direct, not having enough of a grasp of their language to spin hidden nuance into her phrasing or questions. Jack liked it.

It reminded him of Sarah.

"That so? Crying heart eh?" He sighed, stretching his legs out in front of him. His knees cracked and he grimaced at the sound.

"Bec. I know you miss your home. Dan-yel does also, but he is glad of soul to have the most important part of that world here." Her green eyes caught the firelight and the pointed look she was casting him. Jack wasn't really in the mood for a lecture and he yawned mightily to prove his point. "Siennu, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine." Jack said, making to stand but Siennu put one hand out and touched his arm lightly. "Your word 'fine' is ugly. Dan-yel uses it when he is hurting and does not wish to talk." Siennu's eyes dropped. "He uses it a lot." She added. Jack wondered if Siennu had actually approached him to discuss Daniel. He could do that, as long as he didn't have to talk about himself. He sat back again. "Daniel's a tough kid. I'm sure he'll be fi…I'm sure he'll come around."

Siennu looked up at Jack quickly. "All of our people wonder why you close off yourself, not only to us, but to your own." She said and Jack frowned. The topic had obviously not shifted focus, as he had wanted it to. "You are their…" She looked up at Jack, an expression on her face he recognized when she couldn't think of the right word.

"Leader?" He guessed.

She shook her head once, curtly. "Ba. Centre." She said. "You hurt and they all cannot heal. Do you not see?" Siennu said and she gestured curtly towards the fire. Jack followed her hand and picked out his teammates. Teal'c stood off to the side, his staff weapon still held, still maintaining watch after all this time. His eyes tracked right and he saw Daniel, sitting alone as well. Unlike Teal'c, Daniel was approached time and again by people. He would respond to whatever they said, but his whole body language dismissed them and they moved off quickly. His eyes sought out Sam last.

She sat close to the firelight and although she had a small girl draped over her shoulders, playing with her hair, she wasn't paying any attention to her. Her head was down and she had Daniel's spiral notebook, now completely battered, in her lap. She was writing with what looked like the stub of a pencil and there was a frown on her face. It seemed the more distant Jack had made himself, the more absorbed Sam had become in finding the answer to getting them home, as if to compensate. He watched as Daniel finally moved to her side and was passed the notebook. He saw Daniel shake his head and Sam's shoulders slumped. She took the book back and Daniel moved off again. Jack turned back to Siennu who was watching him carefully.

"You took the 'Sir' word from Saman-ta but gave her nothing in return." Siennu said simply and Jack started as if he had been slapped. He opened his mouth to ask her how in the hell she could know such a thing but Siennu held up a hand. "There are those of my people that can…read the mind, or the heart." She said, watching Jack carefully, as if expecting a reaction of revulsion or horror. Jack gave her neither and she pushed on. "It is not something we speak of as in my ancestor's times the Gods would seek out these people and take them away in the night." Jack's mouth dropped open. He wondered why Daniel had not told any of them but Siennu smiled. "Dan-yel does not know. Look at the little girl." Siennu said, indicating with her hand the girl that still played about Sam. She had given up on Sam's hair and had come around d to lie in front of Sam, watching her writing. "Saman-ta calls out for company inside, although she dismisses it outside. Baybae simply ignores the outside."

"How many of your people can do this?" Jack asked carefully.

"I read thought, but only surface and only if I concentrate. When I was young there were too many voices and it nearly drove me mad. An elder took pity and taught me control. Baybae feels what others do. I am teaching her as I was taught but I do not tell her mother, it would frighten her. Beleick there." Siennu pointed in the direction of a slim man in his early twenties who sat by the fire with a girl, their heads together. "Could move things without touching, but only small and it would give him a sore head for days. He could no longer do it when his boyhood ceased. There are no others of our tribe."

"Jesus." Jack breathed, at a loss what to say otherwise.

"Long ago my people lived on another world, but escaped the gods by traveling beyond the stars, further than the gods ever dared. I live free because of this. The knowledge of how to find our home was lost with our ancestors. We made our home here. You can too."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jack asked. "Why not tell Daniel, or Sam for that matter?"

Siennu reached forward and tapped Jack on the chest, just above his heart. "They do not need to know this to live here. They need you to give permission."

"Permission?"

"Saman-ta still works because she wants to find home for you. Dan-yel sits apart because you do. Teal'c keeps watch because you remain vigilant still." She said, standing. She looked down at him and there was sadness in her eyes. "You told Dan-yel to let go once. Why can you not?"

xxxxx

Sam gave a cry as the notebook was snatched from her hand. She looked up and was surprised to see Jack standing before her, his arms crossed and the book dangling from his fingers. Jack could feel himself being watched and knew both Daniel and Teal'c would have eyes on them. "Sir?" Sam asked. No matter how many times he had asked her, seven years calling him by nothing but his title had become such an ingrained habit that it was hard for her to call him 'Jack'. She would damn well have to learn, he thought wryly, even if he had to make it an order. "Watcha doin?" He asked, noting the little girl had made herself scarce just before he arrived.

"I'm just… I just… working." Sam finished lamely, her eyes fixed on the book he still held. It was the only serviceable paper they had left and she had been filling every available space in it for the last few months with her careful, tiny writing. Jack glanced down at it, and then tossed it casually behind himself. Sam yelped, scrambling to her feet and making to go after it but Jack blocked her with his body. The book sailed into the large fire behind them and disappeared instantly. "Oops." Jack said, meeting Sam's furious gaze. She opened her mouth, probably to yell at him, but he pressed a finger to her lips. He then took both her hands and led her back to where she had been sitting, pushing her gently down and lowering himself beside her. He then took one of her hands and sandwiched it between two of his own

He glanced sideways and saw Daniel move toward them, only to be headed off by Siennu. Daniel looked torn for a moment, but then let Siennu lead him away. Jack's eyes ticked to the right and he saw Teal'c lower his staff weapon. He let go of it completely and it leant against his shoulder as he accepted a steaming bowl from a woman from one of the other tribes camped there.

He could feel Sam's eyes on him, searching for an explanation. He wasn't ready to offer one and he hoped Sam could accept it. After a few minutes Jack felt the tension in Sam finally ease and she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

It seemed she had.


	6. Passage One Decade

Title: Passage (6/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through the increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and  
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret   
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the  
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is  
coincidental and not intended by the author.

-Passage-

-One Decade-

A sound had awoken him, something fighting through the addled sleep fog of his brain, but was quickly dismissed as he realized he was absolutely freezing. He also appeared to have gone blind in the night. Nope, strike that, Jack thought with a sigh as he removed Sam's hand from his face and dropped it onto his chest. Something he hadn't known about Sam was that in bed she was a sprawler. When they'd shared a tent she had been zipped up into the safety of her sleeping bag, but when she had a bed she tended to use every last little bit of it, including the parts that were currently occupied by him. Jack looked down at himself. Her arm was over his chest; hand now resting lightly on it and one of her legs was thrown across his hip. With such long limbs, she managed to still have her other hand and foot dangling over the opposite side of the bed. Her face was turned away from him; he could see the line of her neck and the slope of her jaw. He also discovered why he was so cold. Sam had managed to throw the blanket they shared off both of them in the night and it was on the other side of the room.

"Carter?" He whispered.

"Sir?" He loved that he could still catch her in these vulnerable moments. It had taken her a long time to get used to calling him Jack and she would still refer to him as 'Sir' if she was either half asleep or concentrating on something. He teased her mercilessly and she had tried breaking the habit, but he knew she also bit her nails when she was nervous, and that had been with her since she was a little girl. "Do I have to make getting more bed space an order?" He poked her in the arm and she grunted, still not fully awake.

"Yes Sir, I'll get right on that." She sighed, still not fully awake and Jack chuckled. Finally her face turned toward him and she cracked open an eye, her brow furrowing even before she'd managed to focus on him properly. "Must you tease me when I'm still asleep?" She grumbled, but instead of rolling away from him, she snuggled down into his side. "Why is it so cold in here?" She complained and Jack eyed the blanket, too far away for him to reach what with being pinned to their sleeping pallet and all. Instead he brought his arms up and around her and she growled, but he recognized it as one of her happy noises. "It's the only time I'm smarter than you." Jack teased.

"What's that noise?" Sam asked groggily and Jack focused again on what had brought him out of sleep. It was faint so he didn't know why it had woken him except that it was familiar. "Jack, what?" Sam had felt the whole of Jack's body go rigid and she sat up. He had a sense of danger she trusted implicitly and her heart rate tripled as soon as she felt him tense. The sound, she realized, was what had done it. She listened harder. It was a noise she recognized but hadn't placed because she hadn't heard it in so long.

It was the sound of the Stargate.

More importantly, it was the sound of the Stargate spinning.

xxxxx

It was slick and less clunky looking than it used to be, but what trundled through the Stargate was unmistakably a MALP. All over the makeshift village, people were rising and coming out to stare at the new visitor. They looked apprehensive, but mostly they looked to Jack and Sam. Jack glanced sideways and could see a mixture of emotions flowing over Sam's face like water, none staying long enough for him to recognize. Instead he turned to her and took her by the shoulders. "I know it looks like own of ours but we can't be sure. We do what we practiced." He said injecting the note of authority into his voice that he knew always got Sam moving. She looked from him to the Stargate and back again and then nodded quickly. She took off at a sprint, quickly spreading the word.

Living in close proximity to a Stargate, Jack had recognized the need for preparing the people he now called his own for the worst. He knew they were further out than the Goa'uld had traveled when Siennu's people had first come to the world, but who was to say that the Goa'uld had not traveled there since, or any number of other nasties. He had impressed the need upon the nomads to be cautious. Just because they had come through the Stargate, didn't mean everyone that did would be as harmless. He marveled once again at the practical and efficient nature of these people as he saw supplies quickly gathered and numbers of them already making for the cover of trees in the distance. He saw Teal'c and Daniel jogging toward him. Time was, they were supposed to stay to give those that could not fight a head start. While Jack would let Teal'c stay, he had decided a while ago that Daniel would not be allowed.

Jack put a hand up and stopped Daniel in his tracks. "You go with the others." He said, giving Daniel a light shove. Daniel looked confused, pulling his sidearm out from under his shirt. Teal'c held his staff weapon loosely at his side, and also treated Jack to his standard raised eyebrow. "Are you crazy, no!" Daniel said, waving his handgun in the direction of the 'gate. "You need all the warriors you can get. We don't know what's coming through." Daniel made to brush passed Jack to join the other men and women heading for the 'gate but Jack moved to block his path.

"Dammit Daniel." Jack sighed, pointing behind him. Daniel turned his head slightly and followed the direction of Jack's outstretched arm. Siennu stood watching them, a boy of approximately six years of age by her right side with sandy blonde hair and serious blue eyes. She had a girl of four held in her arms. Teal'c glanced at Daniel. "O'Neill is correct DanielJackson." Teal'c said simply, also moving to block Daniel's path. "Go with them. Don't return until you see the signal fires." Jack said gently. He saw Daniel looked both pained and torn. He knew the younger man would feel it was his duty to stand with his team, that it was his place. He had another place as well now. Daniel nodded once and jogged back towards the family he had made. Jack could see the relief plain on the dark features of Siennu and he knew he was doing the right thing. He hoped Daniel did to, no matter what happened.

xxxxx

"Team's of eight now. Must be a bigger budget." Jack murmured. Sam snorted, treating him to an amused, sideways glance. They were standing towards the back of the nomads gathered around the new visitors, carefully shielding their faces and trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. Although Sam and Teal'c both agreed that they didn't recognize any of the humans that had come through the 'gate shortly after the MALPS first appearance, Jack wasn't taking any chances. Teal'c had stowed his staff weapon out of sight and both Jack and Sam had their P90s hidden carefully beneath their loose clothing. The other nomads gathered around the newcomers, full of the same friendliness and curiosity he and his team had been greeted with and could see the first stilted tries at communication between a slim man with glasses that reminded him greatly of a younger Daniel, and the eldest of the nomads who had been learning English, a woman named Toshi.

Jack had a thought however, something that bothered him. He, Sam, Teal'c and Daniel had prayed and hoped for rescue. It had been in their dreams that an SG team would come waltzing through the Stargate, and now apparently they had. All eight men and women assembled were dressed in standard issue BDUs. Their weapons looked a little different but Jack figured a lot could change when you were out of the loop for years on end. They had patches on their sleeve and Jack could see they were listed as SG36. Basically, he and the others should have been running up, throwing their arms around their rescuers and demanding to be taken home.

Without discussion, he, Sam and Teal'c had not done so. If anything, they were trying their damdest not to be noticed. For all they knew, SG36 could disappear back through the Stargate at any moment and never return and they wouldn't be able to follow, their IDC codes probably scrubbed from the databanks long ago. The families hiding amongst the trees had not been summoned back yet and Jack rationlised that they were all not revealing themselves because they didn't truly believe that these people were from Earth. He finally looked around himself, shaking away the inner reverie and noticed something else that was curious. The nomads, those nearest to him and Sam, had clumped together, as if shielding them from the visitors' line of sight. His eyes ticked sideways and he noticed a similar grouping had sprung up around Teal'c. If he weren't looking for it, he wouldn't have noticed it. Jack turned his eyes to Sam and could see a vague frown on her face also.

"This is our chance to be rescued." Sam stated, her voice flat.

"Yes." Jack agreed. He saw one of the nomads who had gravitated towards them glance backwards, worry and sadness plain on their features.

"All we have to do is go up and tell them who we are." Sam continued.

"Yes."

"And yet…"

"And yet."

Sam finally turned her face towards him and held out a hand. He entwined her fingers with his own. "Daniel was only allowed to stay on Abydos because our government thought he was dead. Even after all this time we'd be deemed as too much of a security risk to leave off world. I was ordered to bring Daniel back once, take him away from his family. I don't think I could be responsible for that again." Jack was trying to shove his hesitation into the nice, neat little 'protecting Daniel' box and what irked him the most was that it just wouldn't fit. Sam watched him carefully and he sighed. "Fact is if they find out who we are, we lose the choice."

"The choice?"

"Whether we want to stay."

xxxxx

The SG team had stayed for six hours and then had departed, taking with them soil samples and the usual standard recon fare. Jack and Sam watched them go mutely, both glancing at each other from time to time as if to say 'are you sure?' Jack could sense Sam tense next to him as the last member of SG36 hesitated on the Event Horizon, looking behind himself once and then stepped through.

"I wonder how-"

"Carter!" Jack snapped, knowing that despite her assurances that she wanted to stay, her scientific mind would be dying to know how they had made it to a world so far away. She knew someone else must have stumbled upon the auto-dial sequence, or thought of it themselves. Jack could see the light of curiosity in Sam's eyes, something he hadn't seen in a while. Then she turned to him and the curiosity was gone, but replacing it was a firm look that he also recognized, and was treated to regularly. "This has felt more like home than anywhere else I have ever been." She said linking her hands behind his neck and leaning forward to place a firm kiss on his mouth. "And I've kinda gotten used to being able to do that whenever I want to." A lazy smile curved her lips and Jack couldn't help but grin back.

xxxxxx

Jack and Sam sitting by a fire Jack had made outside their hut. They were having dinner guests that night. As they sat, they saw Daniel, Siennu and the their two kids approach. Teal'c and the lovely Raen who had been wooed away from another tribe by the large Jaffa, approached from the opposite direction. All carried something to contribute to their meal. As was the nomad's way. Strike that, thought Jack. As was our way.

Later, when they'd all eaten their fill, left by the fire was Daniel, Teal'c, Sam and Jack. Daniel sat with Caleb in his lap. His little boy was sitting slumped with his back leaning against Daniel's chest, one thumb firmly stuck in his mouth and the other arm casually flung up and over Daniel's neck. Daniel rubbed his hand through the boy's hair and looked up at the other three. "Back home huh?" He said. Sam and Jack were looking at Daniel carefully, hoping that they hadn't made a huge mistake by deciding for all of them. Teal'c simply sat watching, impassive as always, although these days he was quicker to smile. Daniel stretched out his arms and then wrapped them tighter around Caleb, resting his chin on the boy's head. "I bet you want to know how." He said, his eyes ticking to Sam. She chuckled and glanced sideways at Jack quickly. "Dying to." She admitted.

"I bet you wanted to ask them to leave you a beer." Daniel sighed, his eyes swinging to Jack.

Jack groaned. "I hadn't thought of that. Thanks buddy." He grumbled, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Daniel sighed again, heavier this time. Caleb grumbled in his sleep, a sound so intrinsically 'Daniel' that it made the others laugh. Jack watched Daniel with the boy, then at the woman by his side. He looked across the fire and could see Teal'c who was smiling openly and easily, an expression they had never realized would be so at home on the large Jaffa's face.

"I'm sure someone will be back… someday." Sam said with a smile.

Jack nodded, watching the fire die down. "Yep. We can decide then."


End file.
